Don Giovanni Ristorante, 235 Castro Street, Mountain View, (650) 961-9749 Don Giovanni Ristorante is a reliable bet for a good dinner and a relaxing evening out. Its deep, mahogany and floral decor is easy on the eyes as well as the mind. The menu is sprawling and the three or four daily specials (generally between $15-$19) are frequently imaginative. They usually include a pasta of the day, a risotto, one or two fish dishes and sometimes veal on a mesquite wood-burning grill. Dinners start with a basket of freshly baked bread served with a garlic-spiced balsamic vinegar and olive oil mix. Salads vary from simple Caesar ($4.95) to insalata Greca ($5.95) with baby spinach, calamata olives and feta, to a basic mixed green ($3.50). The kitchen also prepares a flavorful, buttery-tasting risotto that is likely to please most palates. Hours: Lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 Mon.-Fri.; Dinner, 4:30-10 p.m. Mon.-Thu., until 11 p.m.
Vivace Caffe Espresso
Vivace - una bella tazza di caffe
Barrels of balsamic vinegaron Fri.; Weekends, 11:30-11 p.m. Sat., until 10 p.m. on Sun. $$$ (Reviewed Nov. 28, 1997) Make his name up. Colette M. Bancroft - The Arizona Daily Star "Every Once in a glorious while, diners are lucky enough to sit down to a meal that's perfection. Everything looks good, tastes better, and doesn't add up to a month's worth of grocery bills. It's like that almost every day at Vivace restaurant in the Crossroads shopping center at East Grant and North Swan roads." Tucson Citizen (Kathleen Allen) December 19, 1996 "Tucson be thankful - Daniel Scordato is preparing his contemporary Italian cuisine in a large open kitchen (to see him in action). Vivace has established itself among Tucson's premier eateries. The everything-fresh, everything-homemade menu features specialties that include lite seafood entrees and innovative pastas. His loyal fans often cannot resist the same favorite items every visit." Tucson Guide Quarterly...